Investing in Leadership and Congregational Vitality
Two of our pastors, Rev. Wayne Muschamp and Rev. Nathan Hedt, have recently undertaken significant training to strengthen ministry across the Victoria–Tasmania District—both supported through the District’s Ministry and Mission Council.
Pastor Wayne has completed a year-long Church Consultancy Course focused on church vitality, mission planning, and healthy congregational life, and is now offering consultancies to congregations seeking renewal, growth, or guidance through transition.
Pastor Nathan has completed the Arrow Leadership Coach Mastery Course, gaining accreditation as a Christian leadership coach with the International Coaching Federation (ICF), and is now offering ministry coaching to pastors, church planters, and ministry teams to help them clarify vision, build resilience, and lead with greater effectiveness.
We celebrate their dedication and the way their new skills are already enriching ministry across the District. If your congregation or ministry team would like to explore church consultancy or coaching support—or learn how similar training might benefit your context—please don’t hesitate to reach out for more information. Pastors who are considering undertaking focused professional development in these or related areas are also warmly encouraged to contact me, Wayne, or Nathan to discuss opportunities for support and training.
Here’s some more detail about how Wayne and/or Nathan might be able to assist your congregation.
Since his retirement nearly three years ago, Pastor Wayne Muschamp, has been busy supporting congregations during vacancies and when pastors have been on rest and recreation leave. It has been an opportunity to learn about Lutheran members further afield from where he last served at Nunawading and Glen Waverley.
In addition, he has undertaken a year-long church consultancy course conducted by Rev Dr Ian Dunkum, with six other people, two of whom are also Lutherans. The principal area covered is church vitality and growth, helping congregations implement outreach into the community and see new people coming to Christ. But developing a mission plan and vision for a church is only the preliminary stage – it is the actual implementation that is the critical factor.
Consultancy is not restricted to thinking of creative ideas to engage with people, but also to develop a healthy response to conflict and to prevent conflict, develop staff and volunteers and effective teamwork, undertake congregational and pastoral reviews, deal with trauma and abuse in a congregation and the path to recovery, develop plans for a transitional ministry, understanding leadership, governance and management, thinking about the elements of a strategic plan, how to arrive at God’s vision for a particular place, burnout and self-care, and personal spiritual formation.
Pastor Wayne says, ‘I have a real passion for evangelism and to see congregations flourish, but I also know how hard it is to chart a new course and adopt an outward focus. Often, congregations get stuck and don’t know how to go about generating some ideas for change. It is where a consultancy can really help. While some suggestions and direction can come from a consultancy, most of the thinking, planning and actions come from the inspiration of Holy Spirit at work amongst his people. My only regret about the course is that I wish I had done this forty years ago!’
The District has paid for Pr Wayne to undertake this training and he has committed himself to not charge for a consultancy but only request that expenses be covered. Please email the District office for Pr Wayne’s contact number.
Pastor Nathan Hedt, Pastor at Luther College, Croydon, and church planter with the Ignite community based at Luther, has been sponsored by the District’s Ministry and Mission Council to undertake the Arrow Leadership Coach Mastery Course.
The course provides advanced professional coaching training, mentoring, and supervised practice, leading to accreditation with the International Coaching Federation (ICF).
Coaching is an intentional, gospel-shaped conversation that empowers pastors and leaders to grow in self-awareness, clarify priorities, and take purposeful action in their ministries.
Nathan explains, “Coaching helps people listen to the Holy Spirit, discover their next faithful steps, and live out their calling with greater focus and joy. I’ve seen firsthand how coaching strengthens pastors, planters, and ministry leaders, helping them flourish personally and lead more effectively in their local context.”
Nathan brings coaching experience from his previous role as Pastor for New and Renewing Churches, where he saw coaching significantly enhance the health and effectiveness of new ministries. Research supports what experience shows: ministry coaching is one of the most powerful tools for increasing both leadership effectiveness and congregational vitality.
Through his training with Arrow Leadership, Nathan is now offering Christian coaching to pastors, congregations, ministry teams, church planters, and leaders across the Victoria–Tasmania District. Coaching conversations can focus on areas such as:
- Clarifying vision and priorities in ministry
- Developing leadership teams
- Navigating change and transition
- Growing personal and spiritual resilience
- Cultivating missional focus
Nathan says, “My hope is that many leaders in our District can experience the support, encouragement and growth in effective ministry that coaching brings. Having an accredited Lutheran coach available locally is a real gift to our shared mission.”
Pastor Nathan is currently serving part-time at Luther College, and volunteering part of his time in tentmaker ministry with the Ignite church plant emerging from the College community. As part of his financial support for this ministry, Nathan offers paid ministry coaching sessions.
As an expression of gratitude for the District’s sponsorship of his coaching training, he is pleased to offer coaching sessions at a reduced cost to pastors, leaders, and entities of the District. For further information or to explore coaching, please email Nathan.
